The Secret He Never Told Her
by PhenioxGypsy
Summary: Albus has been keeping a secret from Minerva it is time it came out.


Minerva McGonagall stood, as proud as ever, demonstrating the most recent transfiguration spell in front of her class of 7th years when Albus Dumbledore peeked his head around the classroom door and asked rather innocently, "Professor McGonagall, may I have a word with you in the corridor?"

"No" Minerva said simply then continued telling the students to turn to the next page.

"Why not?" Albus asked his snow white eyebrows coming together in confusion.

"For I know you are physically incapable of saying only one word" Minerva answered, some of the students found this time appropriate to snicker at their Headmaster.

"Fair enough, will you please step into the corridor and have a _conversation_ with me then?" Albus revised.

"It will probably turn into an argument, but alright" Minerva said putting down the notebook that she was previously writing in onto her desk and then proceeded to follow Albus into the corridor.

When the door closed with that reassuring solid thud, that only such a solid door could make, Minerva turned to Albus with her arms crossed and one eyebrow raised.

"Why have you been ignoring me?" Albus asked pleadingly.

"Because you forgot" Minerva said quickly, her words laced heavily with her Scottish brogue. She had been able to control herself in front of the students, but now…all alone with the one person who could affect her…..

"Forgot wha-" but he stopped himself because he remembered then…he had forgot their thirtieth wedding anniversary, "oh bloody hell" he added the regret clear in his voice.

"Yes, so now that you know I'll be leaving now" Minerva said reading his reaction correctly.

"Tabby I'm so sorry" Albus said making as though he were about to embrace her from behind but she turned and forcefully pushed him away.

"No Albus, you really hurt me; do even care anymore?" Minerva asked starting to cry.

"Of course I care Tabby. Come with me to Paris I'll make it all up to you" Albus begged, coming a little closer to Minerva, "or at least you could let me try…." Albus tried again to persuade Minerva after getting no reaction from the previous try.

"Why do you always propose Paris, what's so important about Paris?" Minerva asked the tears still in her eyes.

"It's where I proposed to you Minerva" Albus explained.

"Yes, _I_ know that Albus but why did you propose to me there, why not Scotland? That is where we had met after all" Minerva asked, she had been wondering this for quite some time but every time she began to ask about it Albus had…..'distracted' her.

"Minerva, is it really important?" Albus asked a little bit of fear in his eyes.

"Yes, it is important Albus; why don't you want to tell me?" Minerva asked forgetting her sadness and becoming the inquisitive woman she was.

"I had hoped to keep it to myself…" Albus said almost asking if he could have a pass on this.

But Minerva said nothing merely raising her eyebrows as if asking, 'you sure you wanna ask me that?'.

Albus sighed in resignation and began to tell Minerva the one secret he had kept from her, "in 1957 I was in Paris, France with my fiancée Stephanie Mardolv" Minerva's eyes widened at this but Albus did not pause, "I was 23 at the time and she was 20. While walking through the center of the city I saw an elderly woman walking with a little girl, she couldn't have been more than 7 years old, correcting her every move. That little girl looked at me and smiled a secret little smile, like she knew we were going to see each other again. I looked for that girl, and she haunted my dreams. I told Stephanie that I couldn't go through with the marriage, and she was furious. Years later I found out that little girl was…you".

Minerva's mouth hung open slightly and a lone tear fell from her eye, Albus brought his hand up and wiped away the tear gently from his wife's face.

"I never told Stephanie why I broke off the engagement" Albus said focusing solely on Minerva's lips, "I'm sorry I forgot our anniversary".

"I didn't know that happened between you and I, I miss you Albus. But I need to get back to my class" Here Minerva quickly kissed Albus on the lips, wiped her eyes and went back into her class.


End file.
